This invention relates to a print head for a serial dot-printer.
For the purpose of enhancing the printing speed of a print head used in a serial dot-printer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,978 discloses a print head utilizing its then newly developed armature supporter.
In this armature supporter of the prior art, an armature on which a print wire is fixed is pivotally supported by a pair of leaf springs crossing each other at right angles. The armature is thus retrained from movements other than swinging or oscillation, so as to improve the response speed of the armature.
This art has attempted to obtain superior print quality in serial dot-printers, that is, attempted to improve the print quality of dot-printers up to a level comparable to the quality of ordinary printing obtained by means of types or fonts, to give dot-printers fine graphic printing, capability. Such attempts have usually increased the number of print wires incorporated into one print head.
Employing the armature supporter disclosed by the U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,978 to meet the dual requirements of raising the printing speed and improving print quality necessarily results in a large space needed to support one armature. The greater the number of print wires incorporated in one head, the larger the size of the print head. This causes in turn an increase in the gross weight of the print head, leading to enlargement of the drive mechanism including the motor for laterally moving the print head along the surface of the platen. Increases in the manufacturing cost for such printers inevitably result from the above prior art attempts.